Independent Novel Study on Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson:
Journal Entry 1:
(Pages 1-40) 4. What's going on as the story begins? The introduction features the first morning of the protagonist, Melinda’s first day of High School. She describes her new school Merryweather High as a cliquey, mean, and harsh school. Everyone is laughing at her, or giving her the cold shoulder and dodging her like she has some sort of contagious disease. Her friends in middle and elementary school don’t even talk to her. Melinda finds a bit of comfort with the positive new girl Heather, that doesn’t know what happened, and they become friends.
3. What has happened before the novel began? It doesn’t say very much about what happened before the book began, but we know from Melinda’s thoughts that her summer sucked. She wasted away her time watching bad cartoons. She didn’t go shopping, swimming or answer any calls. We get very little information as to why everyone hates her, because she prefers not to think about it. She does let slip that she crashed a party, so now everyone hates her, but we don’t get more answers to questions such as “Why that party was important. Who was there, and why did it affect so many people?” I’m still left hanging without those answers.
8. How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest? Laurie holds on to you and makes you want to read more by one simple thing: Curiosity.The fact that you don’t know what happened that night at the party, and that she is so reluctant to tell you what happened makes you want to read more. If there wasn’t that simple element, I probably wouldn’t have kept on reading because so far, it’s just this depressing book about how much life can suck if you don’t have any friends in a clique populated school, where everyone hates you. Laurie holds your interest by making you feel sorry for Melinda. She has this so far horrible life that kind of sucks, so you pity her, and want to know how her ending will be.
Journal Entry 2:
(Pages 41-80) 13. To what age group is the novel aimed? Support your answer with evidence.The novel is aimed at the teenage or even preteen crowd. The book is about a High School Girl in grade nine, so the people who are most likely to read this book are girls in High School, grade eight or maybe even seven. The issues that she (Melinda) faces in life would also appeal to the general crowd of teens and preteens.
12. Is the language in the novel difficult or easy? Give examples and explain.I’m not finding the language very difficult or challenging. There are not any words so far that I haven’t understood, because the writing style is pretty basic, but still makes you think a little. Some people might find certain adjectives that the author uses a little difficult, such as “demerit”. Sounds bad, but think about it, and you’ll figure it means that you loose merits: “demerit”. Easy. The book does not have a very difficult vocabulary, although there are some more complicated words, but nothing that you need to run to a dictionary for.
7. What is the initial or first problem faced by the main character?The first major problem faced by Melinda is the fact that her life stinks because she has no friends, not such a great family environment, and everyone at school hates her. I don’t know why no one likes her, but hopefully I’ll find out soon. This is the biggest problem so far throughout the entire book, and I’m curious to know how she solves it. I think that she will maybe tell them what happened because the novel is titled “Speak”, but I don’t know for certain yet. Her life is awful, and miserable because of this thing that happened over the summer, and, so no one likes her and her family isn’t very interested. That is the major, and first problem that we know of in the novel “Speak”.
Journal Entry 3:
(Pages 81-120) 6. What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why? The book is based in Merryweather High School, and a bit at Melinda’s house a very rarely she talks about her neighborhood in Syracuse, New York, America. You could only have this book in a High School, because all of the events in the novel evolve around High School. If you were to move the main location where the book takes place to somewhere else it just wouldn’t work, because there would be nothing to talk about, so the book would just be blank, except for where she is walking in the streets and is at home. If you were to transport the characters of this book somewhere else, it wouldn’t work, because everything in the novel evolves around Melinda’s High School.
15. Describe any new characters that are introduced? What is their purpose? Heather, Melinda’s only friend (who is more like an acquaintance) finds common ground with one of the preppy, helping, meaner cliques called the Mathas. Heather has a lot in common, and wants to be like them. Unfortunately, Melinda is of the opposite range. These new girls are important to the plot, because now that Heather has found her groove, she doesn’t really need Melinda anymore, so they will probably break up. Heather will now have things to do, people to help, outfits to coordinate with the clique, so she won’t need Melinda to be her “tour guide” anymore. Since the Marthas have arrived in the book, Heather is becoming more distant from Melinda, and that is changing the way she see Heather: With more appreciation, because without her, she will have no one.
5. Who is telling the story? How does this person’s perspective effect the way the story is told? The story is told from a first person view; Melinda’s eyes. She is more of a downer, so everything so far is from a negative perspective, that includes her feelings about how everything is just so awful. If it were from someone else’s view. who liked High School and their life, the book would be much different, and happier. Also, if a narrator told it, I don’t think that you would get so much of what Melinda feels, and thinks. You would probably just get the surroundings and people more, which could be beneficial, but Melinda does tell you about her surroundings (and all the negative things abut them). Melinda tells the story from her perspective, but she is a “my life sucks” sort of person, so everything has a negative edge.
Journal Entry 4: (Pages 121-160) 14. Is there a message or main theme emerging in the book? How is it shown? The message that this book is trying to explain is that everyone has issues, whether they are big or small and reasons for doing things that you may not necessarily like. Speak could also be trying to let the reader know not to judge others so harshly. The main theme however, is to speak out and tell people the truth (no matter how hard that might be). The book could have several different interpretations, but the main theme is to tell the truth, and not hurt yourself by keeping everything in.
9. What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses? The main problem that we now find out is that Melinda was raped. She didn’t tell anyone or do anything about it: She just held it in and made herself depressed. As well as that, she doesn’t have any friends (the school hates her), she is flunking every subject except art, and now Rachel and Andy (the guy who raped Melinda) are together! All of this is definitely adding to her stress level, as well as the fact that he home is unstable, and her parents often argue. All of these problems are also hurting her too as well as the fact that she was sexually assaulted.
21. Why would you (or why wouldn't you) recommend this novel to a friend? I found this novel depressing and wouldn’t read it again. It has some good points, but more bad ones in my view. The writing is good, and there is lots of imagery. However, the novel is to short, her school is over-stereotyped, and the plot is flat and boring. I would not go to my friend and tell them to read this book, because it is flat, depressing, and to short. Journal Entry 5: (Pages 161-198) 16. What is the climax of the novel? The climax of the book is when Andy Evans and Melinda are stuck in the closet together at the end. He is trying to hurt her for causing bad “rumors” about him (She was just telling the truth.). He was beating her and she was trying to scream, but she couldn’t she she broke the glass mirror, and held a piece up against his neck to stop him. Then the lacrosse team who was practicing outside came to the rescue and told others.
19. What message did you get from the novel? How was this message conveyed? I think that what Anderson was trying to tell young adolescents to speak out if they are hurt, or something isn’t right. In my opinion: a bit cliche, but still important to tell the future generations.
18. What were the major things that helped to resolve the plot? The major thing that helped resolve the plot was Melinda’s courage and bravery. She spoke up for doing what was right, but had to suffer again, putting to use more courage and perseverance. Also, if it weren’t for the lacrosse team practicing outside, help might have been to late because Andy could have already over powered her weapon, leaving her with more injuries than a broken arm. Focus Asssignment:Speak-Summary of NovelBy: NFriedmann
Grade nine at Merryweather High for Melinda is a living hell. She has no friends, no clan and she is the most hated person at the school. The only reason for all of this hate and sadness is because of something that happened during the summer. A secret that Melinda Sordino doesn’t tell anyone, and keeps out of her head to protect herself from the terrible visions. Being the loner, she then gets stuck with the new girl. A chatterbox who moved into Syracuse, NY just in time for school: Heather. They become reluctant friends, while Melinda suffers through subjects she doesn’t understand, teachers she hates and a hateful crowd of cliques. Can she bring herself to speak up, and tell everyone what really happened?
Throughout the school year, Melinda is constantly the target for mean pranks and laughing gossip. She only has one ignorant friend: Heather. Unfortunately for Melinda, Heather soon finds a clan that excepts her and the people have more of the same interests. Deserted Melinda fights with the teachers, her oblivious parents, and with her mental struggle about what happened over the summer. Her only understanding teacher is her art teacher. She has to draw trees for him and starts off real bad.
She starts failing at school and skips most days. he finds only one small ray of light: While escaping from a teacher, she tumbles across an unused and unknown closet that is just big enough for her to make her own. With her new-found haven, school becomes more bearable as the year progresses.
During the end of spring, we find out what really happened at the end of summer: She was raped by a boy named Andy Evans. Then, Rachel starts dating him (Rachel was her ex-best friend.)! She sends her a note, but Rachel still continues to flirt with her. Worried, Melinda decides to write something on the bathroom wall. The wall acts as a sort of chat space for the girls of the school. She writes about Andy Evans, and what happened to her. Then lets it be. Meanwhile, in art, her trees aren't getting any better, but she is advancing somewhat. Andy and Rachel are still together, and are getting closer and closer. Melinda doesn’t want her friend to be hurt, so during a study block they have together, she tells her she was raped. Rachel is shocked and super sorry about everything, but when Melinda tells her it was Andy, she changes sides again, and calls her a liar who is just jealous. Defeated, Melinda goes back to the bathroom, and finds her “post” has many more replies! Lots of other girls also feel the same way about him!
On the last day of school, Melinda goes to her cupboard to pack up her things, when an unexpected knock comes from the door. Andy Evans fills the room. Big, muscular and mad, he was a frightening sight.He started speaking, strong slow words. He was mad at her for spreading rumors, and wanted his reputation back. He was going o hurt her. Melinda started to scream, but he started pushing her against the wall. She breaks the mirror she had put in the room, and holds a piece up to his neck, letting it cut him just a bit. All of a sudden, the field hockey girls
who were practicing come in on the scene. Everything has finally turned around, and Melinda isn’t the “bad guy” anymore. Her trees are also really good now, and she comes to realize that "It isn't perfect, but that makes it just right.".
The book speak is a book written in third person, from the point of view of Melinda, a grade nine girl who got raped in the summer, and has been silenced by her own fear. She called the police to help, but made the wrong move according to everyone else. Because of her traumatic summer, she has lost her friends, popularity and even her voice. This book is about overcoming you problems, and speaking about them to help you get further in life and overcome the mountains that you create for yourself by holding important things in.
The climax of the whole book is not in fact when I thought it would be: when she tells Rachel about the night she was raped, but when she finally defeats Andy Evans in her cupboard-like haven, and turns everyone against him, and back to her side. She makes all of the mountains disappear with a poof, because she has finally dealt with all of the horrible things that happened, and can be a happy, healthy kid again.
The book was okay, because I didn’t really know entirely what it was about. I thought that it dragged on a lot, and was boring. A longer and more exiting book would have been better, so next time I will definitely choose differently. The message was good, and the writing quality was also pretty good, but again, I would have preferred a more interesting topic. Glogster Presentation:
Independent Novel Study on Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson:
Journal Entry 1:
(Pages 1-40)
4. What's going on as the story begins?
The introduction features the first morning of the protagonist, Melinda’s first day of High School. She describes her new school Merryweather High as a cliquey, mean, and harsh school. Everyone is laughing at her, or giving her the cold shoulder and dodging her like she has some sort of contagious disease. Her friends in middle and elementary school don’t even talk to her. Melinda finds a bit of comfort with the positive new girl Heather, that doesn’t know what happened, and they become friends.
3. What has happened before the novel began?
It doesn’t say very much about what happened before the book began, but we know from Melinda’s thoughts that her summer sucked. She wasted away her time watching bad cartoons. She didn’t go shopping, swimming or answer any calls. We get very little information as to why everyone hates her, because she prefers not to think about it. She does let slip that she crashed a party, so now everyone hates her, but we don’t get more answers to questions such as “Why that party was important. Who was there, and why did it affect so many people?” I’m still left hanging without those answers.
8. How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest?
Laurie holds on to you and makes you want to read more by one simple thing: Curiosity.The fact that you don’t know what happened that night at the party, and that she is so reluctant to tell you what happened makes you want to read more. If there wasn’t that simple element, I probably wouldn’t have kept on reading because so far, it’s just this depressing book about how much life can suck if you don’t have any friends in a clique populated school, where everyone hates you. Laurie holds your interest by making you feel sorry for Melinda. She has this so far horrible life that kind of sucks, so you pity her, and want to know how her ending will be.
Journal Entry 2:
(Pages 41-80)
13. To what age group is the novel aimed? Support your answer with evidence.The novel is aimed at the teenage or even preteen crowd. The book is about a High School Girl in grade nine, so the people who are most likely to read this book are girls in High School, grade eight or maybe even seven. The issues that she (Melinda) faces in life would also appeal to the general crowd of teens and preteens.
12. Is the language in the novel difficult or easy? Give examples and explain.I’m not finding the language very difficult or challenging. There are not any words so far that I haven’t understood, because the writing style is pretty basic, but still makes you think a little. Some people might find certain adjectives that the author uses a little difficult, such as “demerit”. Sounds bad, but think about it, and you’ll figure it means that you loose merits: “demerit”. Easy. The book does not have a very difficult vocabulary, although there are some more complicated words, but nothing that you need to run to a dictionary for.
7. What is the initial or first problem faced by the main character?The first major problem faced by Melinda is the fact that her life stinks because she has no friends, not such a great family environment, and everyone at school hates her. I don’t know why no one likes her, but hopefully I’ll find out soon. This is the biggest problem so far throughout the entire book, and I’m curious to know how she solves it. I think that she will maybe tell them what happened because the novel is titled “Speak”, but I don’t know for certain yet. Her life is awful, and miserable because of this thing that happened over the summer, and, so no one likes her and her family isn’t very interested. That is the major, and first problem that we know of in the novel “Speak”.
Journal Entry 3:
(Pages 81-120)
6. What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why?
The book is based in Merryweather High School, and a bit at Melinda’s house a very rarely she talks about her neighborhood in Syracuse, New York, America. You could only have this book in a High School, because all of the events in the novel evolve around High School. If you were to move the main location where the book takes place to somewhere else it just wouldn’t work, because there would be nothing to talk about, so the book would just be blank, except for where she is walking in the streets and is at home. If you were to transport the characters of this book somewhere else, it wouldn’t work, because everything in the novel evolves around Melinda’s High School.
15. Describe any new characters that are introduced? What is their purpose?
Heather, Melinda’s only friend (who is more like an acquaintance) finds common ground with one of the preppy, helping, meaner cliques called the Mathas. Heather has a lot in common, and wants to be like them. Unfortunately, Melinda is of the opposite range. These new girls are important to the plot, because now that Heather has found her groove, she doesn’t really need Melinda anymore, so they will probably break up. Heather will now have things to do, people to help, outfits to coordinate with the clique, so she won’t need Melinda to be her “tour guide” anymore. Since the Marthas have arrived in the book, Heather is becoming more distant from Melinda, and that is changing the way she see Heather: With more appreciation, because without her, she will have no one.
5. Who is telling the story? How does this person’s perspective effect the way the story is told?
The story is told from a first person view; Melinda’s eyes. She is more of a downer, so everything so far is from a negative perspective, that includes her feelings about how everything is just so awful. If it were from someone else’s view. who liked High School and their life, the book would be much different, and happier. Also, if a narrator told it, I don’t think that you would get so much of what Melinda feels, and thinks. You would probably just get the surroundings and people more, which could be beneficial, but Melinda does tell you about her surroundings (and all the negative things abut them). Melinda tells the story from her perspective, but she is a “my life sucks” sort of person, so everything has a negative edge.
Journal Entry 4:
(Pages 121-160)
14. Is there a message or main theme emerging in the book? How is it shown?
The message that this book is trying to explain is that everyone has issues, whether they are big or small and reasons for doing things that you may not necessarily like. Speak could also be trying to let the reader know not to judge others so harshly. The main theme however, is to speak out and tell people the truth (no matter how hard that might be). The book could have several different interpretations, but the main theme is to tell the truth, and not hurt yourself by keeping everything in.
9. What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses?
The main problem that we now find out is that Melinda was raped. She didn’t tell anyone or do anything about it: She just held it in and made herself depressed. As well as that, she doesn’t have any friends (the school hates her), she is flunking every subject except art, and now Rachel and Andy (the guy who raped Melinda) are together! All of this is definitely adding to her stress level, as well as the fact that he home is unstable, and her parents often argue. All of these problems are also hurting her too as well as the fact that she was sexually assaulted.
21. Why would you (or why wouldn't you) recommend this novel to a friend?
I found this novel depressing and wouldn’t read it again. It has some good points, but more bad ones in my view. The writing is good, and there is lots of imagery. However, the novel is to short, her school is over-stereotyped, and the plot is flat and boring. I would not go to my friend and tell them to read this book, because it is flat, depressing, and to short.
Journal Entry 5:
(Pages 161-198)
16. What is the climax of the novel?
The climax of the book is when Andy Evans and Melinda are stuck in the closet together at the end. He is trying to hurt her for causing bad “rumors” about him (She was just telling the truth.). He was beating her and she was trying to scream, but she couldn’t she she broke the glass mirror, and held a piece up against his neck to stop him. Then the lacrosse team who was practicing outside came to the rescue and told others.
19. What message did you get from the novel? How was this message conveyed?
I think that what Anderson was trying to tell young adolescents to speak out if they are hurt, or something isn’t right. In my opinion: a bit cliche, but still important to tell the future generations.
18. What were the major things that helped to resolve the plot?
The major thing that helped resolve the plot was Melinda’s courage and bravery. She spoke up for doing what was right, but had to suffer again, putting to use more courage and perseverance. Also, if it weren’t for the lacrosse team practicing outside, help might have been to late because Andy could have already over powered her weapon, leaving her with more injuries than a broken arm.
Focus Asssignment:Speak-Summary of NovelBy: NFriedmann
Grade nine at Merryweather High for Melinda is a living hell. She has no friends, no clan and she is the most hated person at the school. The only reason for all of this hate and sadness is because of something that happened during the summer. A secret that Melinda Sordino doesn’t tell anyone, and keeps out of her head to protect herself from the terrible visions. Being the loner, she then gets stuck with the new girl. A chatterbox who moved into Syracuse, NY just in time for school: Heather. They become reluctant friends, while Melinda suffers through subjects she doesn’t understand, teachers she hates and a hateful crowd of cliques. Can she bring herself to speak up, and tell everyone what really happened?
Throughout the school year, Melinda is constantly the target for mean pranks and laughing gossip. She only has one ignorant friend: Heather. Unfortunately for Melinda, Heather soon finds a clan that excepts her and the people have more of the same interests. Deserted Melinda fights with the teachers, her oblivious parents, and with her mental struggle about what happened over the summer. Her only understanding teacher is her art teacher. She has to draw trees for him and starts off real bad.
She starts failing at school and skips most days. he finds only one small ray of light: While escaping from a teacher, she tumbles across an unused and unknown closet that is just big enough for her to make her own. With her new-found haven, school becomes more bearable as the year progresses.
During the end of spring, we find out what really happened at the end of summer: She was raped by a boy named Andy Evans. Then, Rachel starts dating him (Rachel was her ex-best friend.)! She sends her a note, but Rachel still continues to flirt with her. Worried, Melinda decides to write something on the bathroom wall. The wall acts as a sort of chat space for the girls of the school. She writes about Andy Evans, and what happened to her. Then lets it be. Meanwhile, in art, her trees aren't getting any better, but she is advancing somewhat.
Andy and Rachel are still together, and are getting closer and closer. Melinda doesn’t want her friend to be hurt, so during a study block they have together, she tells her she was raped. Rachel is shocked and super sorry about everything, but when Melinda tells her it was Andy, she changes sides again, and calls her a liar who is just jealous. Defeated, Melinda goes back to the bathroom, and finds her “post” has many more replies! Lots of other girls also feel the same way about him!
On the last day of school, Melinda goes to her cupboard to pack up her things, when an unexpected knock comes from the door. Andy Evans fills the room. Big, muscular and mad, he was a frightening sight.He started speaking, strong slow words. He was mad at her for spreading rumors, and wanted his reputation back. He was going o hurt her. Melinda started to scream, but he started pushing her against the wall. She breaks the mirror she had put in the room, and holds a piece up to his neck, letting it cut him just a bit. All of a sudden, the field hockey girls
who were practicing come in on the scene. Everything has finally turned around, and Melinda isn’t the “bad guy” anymore. Her trees are also really good now, and she comes to realize that "It isn't perfect, but that makes it just right.".
The book speak is a book written in third person, from the point of view of Melinda, a grade nine girl who got raped in the summer, and has been silenced by her own fear. She called the police to help, but made the wrong move according to everyone else. Because of her traumatic summer, she has lost her friends, popularity and even her voice. This book is about overcoming you problems, and speaking about them to help you get further in life and overcome the mountains that you create for yourself by holding important things in.
The climax of the whole book is not in fact when I thought it would be: when she tells Rachel about the night she was raped, but when she finally defeats Andy Evans in her cupboard-like haven, and turns everyone against him, and back to her side. She makes all of the mountains disappear with a poof, because she has finally dealt with all of the horrible things that happened, and can be a happy, healthy kid again.
The book was okay, because I didn’t really know entirely what it was about. I thought that it dragged on a lot, and was boring. A longer and more exiting book would have been better, so next time I will definitely choose differently. The message was good, and the writing quality was also pretty good, but again, I would have preferred a more interesting topic.
Glogster Presentation: